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Posts Tagged ‘Nigeria’

Nigeria-India IT CEO summit:exposing nigerian market to foreign investors

September 29th, 2010

DESPITE challenges, when the National Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) of India, the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the IT business-processing outsourcing, (BPO) industries in India and the top Nigerian IT CEOs gathered in Lagos last week for IT Future 2010: the Nigeria-India IT CEO Summit; it was obvious that the Nigerian market place is where to be for off shoring and outsourcing businesses.

A cross section of participants at the just concluded Nigeria-India IT CEO summit 2010. Photos by Emeka Aginam
The event with the theme: Empowering IT CEOs for ofshoring and outsourcing projects is part of the broad strategy to empower Nigeria IT CEOs in collaboration with its international counterparts to tap into the huge potentials for IT/BPO outsourcing growth in Nigeria.
Running in its 5th series, the IT Future is part of the commitment of ITAN to retool the Nigerian ICT industry industry for global competitiveness in the 21st century knowledge economy.

For one thing, the IT CEO summit may have succeeded in bringing ICT industry stakeholders together for the purposes of networking, broad synergy, capacity enhancement and strategic focus on the huge current and future potentials of the IT industry to enable, empower, and enrich the Nigerian economy.

Attracting no fewer than 24 Indian IT CEOs from the National Association of Software and Services Companies of India, the summit is a follow-up to the recent workshop by the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) and the World Bank aimed at growing the Nigerian Business Process Outsourcing sector with the aim of creation jobs and wealth as part of broad strategy for the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals and the attainment of the Nigerian Vision 20: 2020.

However, even as the current demand for offshored services come from developed economies, speaker after speaker at the summit organized by the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) in conjunction with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), the World Bank, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) Africa Regional Secretariat with optimism agreed that Nigeria can be transformed into Africa’s offshoring hub if the opportunities are well utilized.

While most speakers believed that offshoring is likely to create billions of jobs globally primarily for the youths, the summit among things looked at the following:

*Progressive development of the Nigerian internal outsourcing businesses and industry

*Locking-in of Nigeria as the hub of IT-BPO in Sub-Saharan Africa as it meets the Indian Investors’ desire to serve Europe and America ITES ever-growing market

*Match-making Indian and Nigerian IT CEOs in a B2B for investment, partnership and networking.

*Exposure of more CEOs to the Off-shoring and Outsourcing business potentials

*Exposure of IT CEOs to critical IT funding sources and opportunities

*Improving on IT CEOs project management competencies

*Collection of important up-to-date industry data.

Meanwhile, the ITAN President Dr Jimson Olufuye earlier in his address told the capacity audience that Nigeria is the nation to be in Africa for investment. “We have abundant and cheap human resources, big market, stable government and a near double digit economic growth. Therefore, you should congratulate yourselves for being in Nigeria today. This is where to be in Africa nowhere else will give you peace of mind for your investment than Nigeria.

“Given the enormous human and natural resources at our disposal, we only need to add critical and sustainable managerial and technological competencies to achieve the desired results to create jobs, increase information flow and advance learning; thereby enabling, empowering and enriching our economy”

While encouraging the Indian CEOs who were on ground to explore the Nigerian market, he said that the timing of event coincides with the urgent search by the Federal Government of Nigeria for avenues to substantially increase internally generated revenue (IGR) at all levels of governance in the country, adding that no service sector offers a better opportunity for achieving this than outsourcing.

For Ani Bakht, CEO, Eastern Software who is also the leader of delegation of NASSCOM, with optimism noted that the country’s market is very attractive for foreign vendors.

According to him, India will continue to work closely with Nigerian IT professionals, adding that developing ICT professional services offshoring opportunities should be a high priority for developing country such as Nigeria.

“We are ready to work with the Nigerian companies. The market is big. Nigeria is a big economy. The environment is good contrary to what is being heard outside the country. We will explore the market and will comply by the rule of the game. Countries wishing to attract offshored investment must create strong economic and good environment” he said.

In the view of Dr Umar Binodir, the Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, (NOTAP), foreign vendors coming to Nigeria for technology transfer must abide by the rule of the game, adding that Nigeria was ready to collaborate with NASSCOM.

According to him, the rule of the game is that is is now compulsory for foreign investors to strictly adhere to the laws guiding technology transfer to achieve easy entry into the Nigerian market. “There are new laws and regulations sponsored by the Federal Goverment of Nigeria through National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP for Technology Transfer agreements” he added.

Even as he sounded tough to NASSCOM members of the rule of the game, he noted that it is the mandate of NOTAP to register all technology transfer agreements having effects in Nigeria.

“It is a corporate body with a mandate to implement the acquisition, promotion and development of technology and at the same time correct certain imperfections in the acquisition of foreign technology into the country. In 1992, the name of the Office was changed to National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) by Decree No. 82 of 1992″ he said.

Similarly, the former President of Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, (CPN) Prof. (Mrs) Adenike Osofisan while warning foreign vendors on illegal operations in the country

noted without mincing words that foreign IT companies interested in investing in Nigeria must register with the Computer Professionals’ (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN). That is the rule of the game, added.

“We encourage NASSCOM to invest in Nigeria which has continued to attract foreign investors as a result of the large market but the rules are there. Nigeria is a good place to invest as long as you follow the guidelines” she explained.

Meanwhile, the summit after series of deliberations that on the following to chart an effective roadmap for ITES/BPO outsourcing sector for a robust and sustainable Insourcing & outsourcing industry in Nigeria:

*There is need for CEO’s of IT companies and IT heads of banks/ telecoms etc to undertake Quality Awareness training towards the attainment of global quality standards.

*ITAN and NASSCOM will partner to articulate an appropriate framework for IT – BPO outsourcing in Nigeria while avoiding drawbacks in the NASSCOM experience.

*Nigeria needs to adopt process, quality models, framework and certifications such as CMMI. Quality creates the foundation for the growth of IT/BPO industry. Quality itself is not the differentiator but creates conditions for differentiation.

*Process is the glue between people and Technology. Therefore People, Processs and Technology form the success indices for organisational performance. These critical factors must be addressed adequately.

*There is a dearth of critical Nigerian IT industry data and there is need for ITAN to spearhead periodic collation of such data desirous for investment and industry growth.

*The potential for reduction in overseas (especially in US) outsourcing business is increasing and as such there is need to grow internal outsourcing businesses through the development of white papers and advisory to government throughout Nigeria.

*The state of the Nigerian educational system is not impressive based on global universities standards and ratings. There is therefore need for University administrators in Nigeria to make the universities visible on the internet, shore-up the educational standards and collaborate with the industry associations (eg ITAN) to enhance digital competitiveness.

* Innovation and creativity are key to Nigeria’s realization of Vision 20 2020 and competing beyond 2020.

*There are new laws and regulations sponsored by the Federal Goverment of Nigeria through National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP for Technology Transfer agreements. It is compulsory for foreign investors to strictly adhere to these laws to achieve easy entry into the Nigerian market.

*Foreign IT Companies interested in investing in Nigeria must register with the Computer Professionals’ (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN) and participate actively in building local IT Industry capabilities through corporate membership of ITAN and individual membership of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

*There is need to create a software system that will capture, evaluate and monitor basic infrastructure lapses in all the local government areas of Nigeria and NOTAP will provide support for these efforts critical to combating the high poverty levels in Nigeria.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/09/nigeria-india-it-ceo-summitexposing-nigerian-market-to-foreign-investors/

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Nigeria, India others to boost the nation’s BPO

August 30th, 2010

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A forum that will for the first time bring together Nigerian Chief Executive Officers from the Information Communication Technology, ICT industry and the National Software and Services Companies of India, NASSCOM to discuss the growth of the Business Process Outsourcing, BPO, in the country is set to hold in Lagos, Nigeria on September 23, 2010.

Jointly organized by the Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN, the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA and the World Information Technology and Services Alliance, WITDA, the summit seeks “to empower the Nigerian IT CEOs in collaboration with their international counterparts to tap into the huge potential for IT-BPO growth in Nigeria.

Tagged, “Empowering IT CEOs for Off-shoring and M-Outsourcing Projects”, the Executive Director, Worldwide Computer System Ltd, Tayo Adeniyi in a pre-summit briefing noted that the summit is timely as it is a follow-up to the recent workshop by the National Economic Management Team, NEMT and the World Bank targeted at “growing the Nigerian Business Process Outsourcing sector with the aim of creating jobs and wealth as part of broad strategy for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and the attainment of the Nigerian Vision 2020.”

He said the Nigerian IT CEOs and the India NASSCOM will be joined by the USA, TechAmerica and Malaysia, PIKOM to boost Nigeria’s participation in the annual over US$600 billion IT BPO business.

India currently leads in the BPO sector earning more than 60 per cent of the annual market value.

At the conclusion of the summit, the organizers hope that the following objectives would have been met, “Progressive development of the Nigerian internal outsourcing businesses and industry, Locking-in of Nigeria as the hub of IT-BPO in Sub-Saharan Africa as it meets the Indian investors’ desire to serve Europe and America ITES ever-growing market.

“Match-making Indian and Nigerian IT CEOs in a Business to Business (B2B) for investment, partnership and networking, Exposure of more CEOs to the Off-shoring and Outsourcing business potentials.

Also, “Exposure of IT CEOs to critical IT funding sources and opportunities, Improving on IT CEOs project management competencies and collection of important up-to-date industry data.

”Lined up to grace the occasion is international and national IT leaders, captains of industries, government representatives among others.

The International Data Corporation has predicted that the BPO market will grow at a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate, CAGR of 5.8 per cent, attaining $201.5 billion in 2014.

Source:http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6633121-nigeria-india-others-to-boost-the-nations-bpo

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Towards the development of ICT in Nigeria

March 3rd, 2010

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The very positive stride recorded in the global development of Information Communications Technology has made human existence easier than could have been imagined. The developed countries of Europe and America have taken advantage of the numerous benefits of ICT to appreciably enhance their developmental profile particularly in the areas of human capacity building, knowledge acquisition and the creation of innumerable opportunities for the individual to optimize his potentials.
The result is that day in day out new discoveries are unfolded which challenge the status quo. The developing and under developed world of which Nigeria is a prominent part, is not left out of this unfolding scenario. In their own little way, they are partakers of the positive revolution although not at the pace of the developed world.
The question which readily then comes to mind is- What should be done by those countries in the latter category to get the best out of the many benefits of the ICT revolution. In more specific and narrow terms, what should we be doing in Nigeria to aid the development of ICT and by implication increase the pool of benefits accruable to the country?
This write up owing to lack of space, will only highlight some critical steps that we should take in the short run.
First, there is need to develop the basic set of laws which are germane to grounding ICT. Apart from the Communications Act, 2003 (there is a proposed amendment on this before the legislature) there has not been any substantive law coming from the National Assembly in this area. One notes with pride however that there are quite a few bills being considered presently. A few examples will suffice-
The bill on the Legal recognition of Electronic Messages in Commercial Transactions; the bill on the Interception and Monitoring of Certain Communications; the bill on the Use, Security, Facilitation and Regulations of Electronic Communications and Transactions and to encourage Electronic Government Services etc; the bill to Facilitate Electronic Transactions in Nigeria, the Computer Security and Protection bill, the bill for the establishment of the Cybersecurity and Information Protection Agency etc. From the foregoing, the number of bills awaiting passage is encouraging even though some of them do overlap in terms of content among others, thus making it imperative for some harmonization to be undertaken.
The key point to note here is that we must put the first foot forward by creating the required legal regime. There will also be need to provide the needed legal education for stakeholders particularly ICT professionals, lawyers and Judges. In respect of the latter, it is important to do this because they may be called upon at some point to handle disputes emanating from this area.
Even though as a country, we have taken some giant strides in providing ICT education at various levels, there are still obvious gaps in the content, quality and relevance of the education in this area. Nigeria will need to continue to fine tune how it implements this aspect of the ICT rollout programme. Some coordination is required. This will be better provided at the Federal level. There is need for the creation of some standards against which deliveries in this respect are assessed.
There are also gaps even in the spread of ICT equipment. It should be possible for every child of school age to have access to a computer on a regular basis regardless of the poverty level of his parents. This challenge should form part of the universal basic education arrangement which is always in the news.
There is also the urgent need to create villages for the promotion of technology. It is the vogue in other climes. We should not be left out of this. There is need for us to organize the skills we have, identify who they are and where they are in terms of skills set.
For example, there is need to have sufficient information regarding what is going on in Computer Village, Ikeja in Lagos where apart from the sale of computer and electronic equipment, there are also programmers who write software. We need to have some information on their knowledge and general competence level. India today earns substantial amount of foreign currency from the sale of software. This is an area Nigeria needs to develop skilled people and organize them so that we can begin to write and sell programmes to other countries particularly in Africa.
IT Outsourcing particularly Offshoring, has become a veritable source of foreign exchange for some countries e.g. India, China and Japan. Nigeria can join the league of providers of Offshoring services. For us to succeed in this respect we would need to emplace an enduring privacy and data protection law in addition to ensuring the security of data.
The opportunities in this area are many and we should begin to take advantage of them. Apart from the legal framework deposed to in the foregoing, there is need to ensure that those who will be involved have the necessary skills to successfully provide the service.
To begin with, there should be effective and productive domestic IT Outsourcing. If a positive reputation is built around this, it may engender the requisite foreign confidence for the provision of Offshoring services. A lot of work is required in this area especially having regard to the current negative reputation of Nigeria as far as the electronic world is concerned.
On the whole, we still have a long way to go as a country but we must take the right steps and quickly too. The bills before the National Assembly require urgent attention. There were bills in this area in the 2003-2007 Assembly which did not see the light of day. It is hoped the current bills will not suffer the same fate when the life of the current legislature ends in 2011. Without the enabling legislations, not much can be achieved no matter how the various stakeholders try.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/03/02/towards-the-development-of-ict-in-nigeria/